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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28697412">Workings of Fate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hades_17/pseuds/hades_17'>hades_17</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fanfiction! [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Angst, Coming of Age, Fluff, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Nostalgia, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Universe, POV Original Character, Psychological Trauma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:47:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28697412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hades_17/pseuds/hades_17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>16 years, 13 friends, a lot of summers and precious memories.</p><p>"Even if we're growing older, let's... let's make new memories...!"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fanfiction! [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Unexpected visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Spring's Peak. A quiet little town with little to no visitors. Placed next to a beautiful beach and amazing landmarks. Residents here are quite the nice folk, despite how quiet the town is. But, they love it. Living life normally and peacefully for the residents of the town.</p><p>Nioh walked down the sidewalk, going home from a day of playing football with his friends. It was the beginning of summer and being an eight year old kid, he would always go spend the first days of summer with his friends. Homework can always wait as he would normally say. Some of his neighbors had just came home from a tough day at work, ready to lift up their feet and rest. Nioh had waved at some of his parent's friends and neighbors as he ate his grape popsicle. The little red haired boy was wearing his favourite white tank top with his favourite show's mascot printed of it and a pair of short jeans to make sure he doesn't sweat a lot. He was almost close to his house when he noticed a car parked at the opposite side of his house. Someone was struggling with boxes from the car, almost dropping a certain one. He tilted his head, curious on what the person was doing. He walked over with the popsicle sticking in his mouth. "God, these are heavy..." the person heaved a breath. Their red hair was tied in a tiny ponytail with a pair of headphones resting on their shoulders. Even with the heat, they were wearing a red and black stripped sweater and a pair of jeans. Nioh continued staring at them, his curiosity building up. "Fuh..." the older person sighed, and turned towards Nioh. "Oh, hey little buddy!" they smiled, their grey eyes seemed to sparkle. Nioh's own eyes sparkled too, fascinated at how pretty the teen looked. "Are you a kid from across the street?" they asked, grabbing their own neck and massaged it. Nioh nodded and stared at the boxes, eventually his eyes landed on the For Sale sign. A big red 'SOLD' was slapped on the front. "It's nice to have a neighbor that's the same age as my brother..." the teen chuckled, Nioh's curiosity was piqued once again. "Hmm? Oh, my brother, Leo ran off somewhere..." they chuckled. "Say, if you can find him and be friends with him, I'll give you a treat, 'kay?" they winked at Nioh, who was already ready to go on this adventure. "He has light grey hair, golden eyes and a bandage at his right eye, can't miss him." the teen chuckled and messed up Nioh's hair. "Well, have fun!" they waved, going back to their boxes.</p><p>Filled with determination, Nioh finished his popsicle and started searching. He started at the park, no one. He went to the beach, no one. He went to some of the stores he would go to, no one. After ten tries, he had finally given up and went to the hill behind his house. It was already night and the stars were sparkling brightly overhead. He had always loved stars, his dad even talked to him about constellations the other days and he was interested. His parents had bought him a telescope for Christmas, in which he had used it every night to look at the stars. If he could, he would sit on the hill and admire the beautiful dots in the sky. But, at that night, he saw someone else. It was a boy, sitting on the ground. Nioh walked closer and saw that he was crying, fresh tears were still at his eyes. It seemed like he haven't noticed Nioh yet. Nioh sat next to him and looked up to the sky, he felt his eyes on him before going back to staring at the stars. "Are you Leo?" Nioh asked, turning his head towards the other boy. He sniffed and wiped some of his tears away, "Y...yes..." he mumbled, "H-how did <em>you</em> know that..?" his tone was defensive, yet fragile at the same time. "Someone asked me to look for you." he blurted out, looking down to his feet. "Tch... W-was it my sibling?" he mumbled, a bit more angrily now. Nioh nodded slightly and looked over to the boy next to him. He looks just like how he was described, light grey hair, golden eyes and a bandage covering his right eye. His outfit was a simple gray jacket and dark blue shorts with a pair of red sneakers to go along with it. "What happened to your eye?" Nioh asked, curious about the history of Leo's eye. "I-it's none of your business!" he grumbled, putting his legs up to his chest and puffed out his cheek. "I wanna go home..." Nioh stared at the other, feeling sorry for him a bit. "Why? Spring's Peak is a great place!" he said, his eyes sparkled a bit. "Heh, my old town was better." he clutched his legs closer, his eyes looked as if he was ready to cry. Nioh looked at him one more time and took his hand. "H-hey, what are you doing?!" Leo protested a bit but Nioh's grip was stronger. "Come on, your sibling is looking for you." he said, standing up and tried to drag Leo along.</p><p>Arriving at his own house, Nioh saw the teenager, Leo's sibling, was talking to his father. "Yeah, he ran off somewhere and I can't find him..." they chuckled, only to turn and spot Nioh and Leo. "Leo!" they rushed over to him, hugging him. "V-vin. L-let me go..." Leo struggled, his face a bit flushed from the hugging. "Thank god, you're safe..." Vin hugged tighter. "Thank you, for finding him!" Vin smiled at Nioh, who smiled back. "Come on." Vin stopped the hugging and tugged at Leo's arm, motioning him towards their house. "I'll show you how great Spring's Peak is tomorrow!" Nioh waved at Leo, who turned and waved back, smiling slightly. Nioh's eyes sparkled and went inside of his own house, his father chuckling at his actions. "Dinner is on the table, and sleep early if you want to see Leo tomorrow, 'kay?" he called out to his son, who was already rushing to the dinner table and plopped himself on his favorite chair. His dad joined him a few minutes later after locking the house's door, making up small talk towards his son and plans for his day with Leo tomorrow. This will be one of the summers that he would never forget.</p><p>*****</p><p>"And there's Uncle Harold's shop!" Nioh and Leo were already at town square, browsing the stores. His dad had given him 30 dollars so that he could buy something for Leo and himself. The town square was near the beach area, making the view amazingly breathtaking. The plaza was noisy with salespeople and customers talking loudly amongst themselves. Leo stared at the beach, while Nioh continued telling about the shops to him. Nioh tugged at Leo's arm and pointed towards the ice cream stand, his eyes sparkling. "D-do you even have money...?" Leo grumbled, as he was interrupted from viewing the sea. "Yeah! Dad gave some!" Nioh said, pulling Leo towards the ice cream stand, getting two vanilla flavored. "T-thanks..." Leo took one of the ice cream and started licking the dessert as he looked at the sea again. Nioh followed Leo's gaze and an idea sprung into his head. "Let's go somewhere!" he said to Leo, grabbing his hand and to his favorite place at the beach. It was an abandoned play ground, though it looks pretty well kept. No one was near them for miles upon miles, not even a single adult. Though, today they weren't really alone, as there were two kids fighting with one of them already close to tears. "Should we... stop them?" Leo asked, his feet made him look ready to intervene. "Nah..." Nioh replied, licked at his ice cream and went closer. "Give it back, Hayden!!" one of them yelled, it was a girl. Her hair was blonde coupled with green eyes, her outfit was a yellow sweater that was falling off her shoulders with a white knee length skirt and a pair of blush pink sandals to couple it. "Why are you doing homework during summer vacation, then?!" the other one, a boy, yelled. His black hair was unkept with a few strands poking out, his red eyes made him look more angrier. His outfit on the other hand was a red tank top with white trims at the sleeves along with a black pair of shorts with a wolf keychain hanging out from one of the pockets, which were coupled with white sneakers that had traces of paint on them. He was holding a book, opened to a section about math equations. Oh god...</p><p>"H-hey! Leave her alone!" Leo shouted out, which caught the attention of both of them. "Now, you've done it." Nioh sighed. "Is this your new friend or something, Nioh? Heh." the boy snickered. "Come on, Hayden, just give Yuzu back her book..." Nioh asked, his voice sounding a bit more bored. "And what can you do?" Hayden mocked him, holding the book up higher. "H-hey!!" Yuzu jumped trying to grab the book, only to fall flat on the ground. "Come on, Yuz, it's the beginning of summer and you're spending it by studying?!" he groaned, Yuzu puffing her cheeks in anger. "Let me do what I want!" she stomped her legs and tried to reach for her book. Nioh tried to reach the book, forgetting that he was pretty short himself. "Come on, big bro..." Nioh grumbled. "Hey, hey, what's going on?~" a voice appeared behind them. A girl with dark hair and matching dark brown eyes was making her way towards them with three popsicles in her hands. "Hayden took my book!" Yuzu stomped her feet and leaped again to try and take the book. "Come on, Hayden, just give it to her." the girl smiled, her voice sounded stern. "Tch. Fine." Hayden complied, handing the book back to Yuzu, who snatched it quickly. "Thanks, Blake!!" she thanked the other girl, who had gave her the banana popsicle. "You're welcome and here." Blake handed Hayden a grape popsicle, in which he took it and looked away quickly. "T-thanks..." he mumbled under his breath. "Come now, Nioh, sit down and enjoy the sea with us." Blake sat down on the sand and patted at the area next to her. Nioh tugged at Leo's arm and they both sat down, Nioh next to Hayden while Leo next to Blake. "Oh, are you new?" Blake asked Leo, who was staring at the ocean wistfully. "H-huh? Yeah..." Leo responded, biting at his ice cream cone. "Well, welcome to Spring's Peak!" Blake smiled, "I'm Blake and right now, I'm currently the oldest at 11 years old while Hayden here is second oldest at 10." she chuckled, biting into her popsicle. "You look like you're around Nioh and Yuzu's age, that's nice." Leo nodded, biting at his cone slowly. "Um, Nioh..." Leo mumbled, surprisingly it made Nioh turned his head. "You... called Hayden 'big bro', are you two related...?" Leo asked, looking over to Nioh. "Yeah, Nioh's my annoying younger brother." Hayden messed up his hair. "H-hey!" Nioh complained, fixing his hair. "Come on, Nioh. Ya don't gotta look so perfect all the time, no girls are gonna look at your direction." Hayden teased him. Blake chuckled, along with Yuzu. Leo continued staring towards the ocean, his thoughts wandering around but only one stuck.</p><p>He's going to enjoy this year's summer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Summer Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"25, 26, 27..." Hayden counted as Nioh sat on the house's front steps and swung his legs back and forth. "Hay, when are we going to go buy popsicles...." Nioh groaned and laid on the house's floor, staring up towards the empty ceiling. "When I finish counting, obviously." Hayden murmured as he resumed counting. It had been a week after Leo and Vin had moved in and the summer heat was more intense than usual. "37, 38, 39, 40." Hayden sighed, putting his wallet back into his short's pocket. "Alright, let's go." he made his way towards the front door, only for Nioh to rush out first. "Hey! This ain't a race!!" he said, before promptly running after his younger brother. The plaza was half-empty, with some of the shopkeepers already spending their time at the beach while keeping an eye on their shops. The noisy cicadas buzzed at the nearby trees, while a lot of customers were talking loudly amongst themselves. "Guh, can't they talk any louder?" Hayden groaned, covering one of his ears in the process. The both of them made their way to a shop that looked similar to a mini-mart. Nioh ran inside as Hayden surveyed the things being sold outside. </p><p>"Hey, hey, how's my little brother doin'?" the cashier leaned over the counter to see Nioh staring up at him with sparkly eyes. "Hey, Classy!!" Nioh waved at him, who waved back. "Hey Nioh, are ya out alone?" Classy asked, the fan beside him blew at his dyed green hair. "No, Hayden is outside!" he pointed towards the entrance as Hayden walked in. "Hey." he waved and went to the counter. "Dad asked to buy some stuff but he couldn't come because of house chores." Hayden placed the money and a shopping list on the counter. "Ah, sure." Classy exited the counter and went to the shelves. After minutes had passed, he came back to thr counter with the stuff written on the shopping list. "Alright, this is the perfect amount." he said, wrapping the stuff in a bag and gave them to Hayden. "The change is in the bag, I'll be home by dinner, 'kay?" Classy waved them goodbye as they exited the shop.</p><p>"Hey, hey, can I go to Leo's?" Nioh turned to his brother, who was already struggling with the plastic bag. "Huh? Yeah, sure." he replied and made their way back to his house. "Be home by dinner." Hayden said before entering their house. Nioh cheered and ran across the street, knocking on Leo's door. "Yes?" Leo opened, rubbing his hand across his face. "I was wondering if we could hang out!" Nioh asked, his eyes sparkling. "Oh, sure...! Yuzu is already inside..." he moved back in, allowing Nioh access. "Hey, Nioh!~" Yuzu waved at him, who waved back. "What are you guys doing?" he asked and sat next to the blonde girl. "Nothing, was just enjoying the air conditioning..." Leo yawned and laid back on the couch. "Come onnnnn, you said we can play pretend!" Yuzu shook Leo awake. "Pretend sounds nice!" Nioh joined in shaking the sleepy grey haired boy. "Mmm, you two can play pretend..." he replied. "It's more fun with three people, though!" Yuzu climbed on the couch and shook Leo more. "Okay, okay, I'm up..." he stood up, dropping Yuzu on the floor. Thankfully she landed on a carpet. "Ok, so! Let's pretend to be... knights!" Yuzu stood up, "I can be the dragon, Nioh can be the knight and since Leo is on the couch, he can be the person in the tower!" she ran to the back of the couch. "Nioh, start!"</p><p>Nioh fumbled a bit before standing up. "I am... knight Nioh! Here to save the prince!" he proclaimed. "Charge!" yelling, he walked towards the couch only for Yuzu to appear in front of him. "Rawr!!!" she yelled. "Ah! A dragon!" Nioh looked around and grabbed a nearby pillow as a replacement for a sword. "Take that!" he shouted and threw the pillow lightly. Yuzu grabbed the pillow and threw back, Nioh catching it in his hands. "You can't pass me, rawr!!" she bellowed and charged towards Nioh, who blocked using the pillow in his arms. In the distance, Leo was already asleep. "Die, dragon!" Nioh yelled and bonked her across the head with the pillos, careful not to hurt her. "Ahhhh, bleh." Yuzu fell on the ground, immobile. Nioh puffed out his chest in pride and went to the couch, shaking Leo awake. "I have found you, my prince!" he cried out, Leo snorting as he woke up. "Huh, what?" he looked dazed, "Oh, uh, my... knight... We've met at long last...!" Leo cheered, though he looked a bit bored. "Aha! Let us celebrate!" he said, shaking Yuzu slowly. "Come, dragon!" she stood up and cheered.</p><p>*****</p><p>"Well, that was fun!" Yuzu sat on the floor, the heat finally getting to her. "Y-yeah, I guess." Leo replied, joining her on the floor for the air conditioning. "Do you have snacks, Leo?" Nioh hurriedly went to the kitchen, "They're on the table..." Nioh eyed the cookies and pulled a chair back, jumping on it to gain more height and took the cookie. "Did your sibling baked these?" he asked Leo, who was already half-sleeping. "Yeah, they did..." he replied, Nioh munched on the cookie. The chocolate chip melted in his mouth as he munched, appreciating every last bite. "So good..." he mumbled and finished the whole thing in his hands in three bites. He, then, got off from the chair and pushed it back before making his way to the two, laying on the floor and formed a circle. "This is nice..." he mumbled, receiving hums from the other two as they stared at the ceiling. Nioh closed his eyes and imagined the ceiling was covered with stars and that they were in space, planets surround them everywhere. The soft sound of shooting stars entered his ears in a melodic tone. As he imagined this, he slowly slipped away from reality and fell asleep.</p><p>Yet, another great day of summer vacation.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Beach Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>God.</p><p>The knock on his bedroom door was so noisy. Leo tossed and turned in his bed, blocking out the knocking on the door. "Leoooooo...." his sibling's voice came from the door. "Come on, I want to tell you something~" they said, knocking on the door again. Leo sat up on his bed and turned to the door. "Fine, come in." he grumbled as Vin walked in and gave him a hug. "H-hey!" Leo struggled a bit before Vin let go and placed a hand on his head. "We're going to the beach today!" Vin exclaimed and twirled. "R-really?" Leo stared at his older sibling, his eyes sparkled. "Yup, yup, big sib didn't have work today so..." Vin went to exit the room before turning around. "Get ready, we'll go in a few minutes." they reminded him. "You can also invite the neighbors~" Vin closed Leo's bedroom door, leaving him alone. Leo swung his legs back and forth as he sat at the edge of his bed, contemplating what he would want to wear. He jumped off the bed and rushed to the wardrobe, taking out a pair of dark green shorts and a black tank top with his favorite swimsuit under his shorts. He went down to the living room to see Vin in an oversized pastel green shirt and black shorts chatting with one of Nioh's brother, Classy.</p><p>"Hey, kiddo." Classy waved at Leo when he turned to the staircase. Vin turned to him and gestured at him to join them. Leo walked over and sat next to his sibling as they continued speaking to Classy. Sounds from the kitchen caught Leo's attention as he jumped off the couch and went to the noise, seeing Blake, Hayden and Yuzu having breakfast while Nioh was spinning around on the red bar stool near the countertop. "Hey, hey, Leo!" Blake waved at him, continued back to eating. "H-hey..." Leo climbed up to an empty bar stool next to Nioh. "We were hungry and thought we could eat before going to the beach!" Blake gave Leo a plate of bacon and eggs, who ate it almost immediately. "Woahhhh, are you magical?!" Yuzu stared at Leo in admiration. "Ah, I was just hungry..." Leo scratched his nails, a nervous tick he had ever since. "Stop spinning!" Hayden yelled at Nioh, who was still mindlessly spinning on the bar stool. "Now, now, Hayden, no need to shout..." Blake chuckled, her hand grabbed at the bar stool and stopped it immediately. "Hey! I was having fun!" Nioh groaned and pouted at his older brother. "Deserved." Hayden mumbled, drinking the cup of hot chocolate in his hand.</p><p>"Alright everyone!" Vin called from the living room. "Come on, let's go, we have a beach to be at!" Everyone jumped from the bar stools and rushed to the front door. "I call shotgun!" Yuzu shouted out and jumped on Classy's lap, forcing a cough from him. "Hey! I wanted shotgun!!" Hayden stomped his foot. "Now, now, no fighting...." Blake grabbed his arm and dragged him into the car with Nioh and Leo at the far backseat. Vin got into the driver's seat and sighed then started the engine. "Now, has everyone got their stuff? Toys, snacks, swimsuits?" the ones at the back cheered in response to Vin's question as they chuckled and drove towards the beach.</p><p>*****</p><p>"Sea!!!" Yuzu jumped off of Classy's lap and ran to the beach, making him chase after her. "Hey! Don't run off on your own like that!!" Vin chuckled as they exit out the car while the younger ones jumped out. "I'm going swimming first!" Hayden yelled and ran to the sea with Nioh right behind him. "Always running off..." Blake sighed and grabbed Leo's hand. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting." she smiled and walked over to the beach. "Don't run away like that..." Classy sighed as he placed Yuzu on the sand before running back to the car to help Vin. Leo sat down on the sand and looked out at the sea, promptly being joined by Nioh a few seconds later. "Aren't you gonna swim?" Leo asked him, who started drawing on the sand. "No..." Nioh replied, being splashed with water a few seconds after. "Come on, coward, the water is fine!" Hayden yelled, a mischievous grin decorated his face, before being slapped on the head by Blake. "Go on." Leo turned to Nioh, who was wiping the water from his face. "I have a fear of drowning..." Nioh chuckled a bit. "Ah..." Leo said, returning his gaze to the ocean. Vin and Classy had came back with the beach stuff and are now chilling under the umbrella, with Vin already asleep. Nioh had grabbed a pail and is currently trying to build a sand castle as Leo moved closer to look at him.</p><p>"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Yuzu came over and peered closer, seeing Nioh's three sand castles already. "Oooh, I want to build some!" she said and went to the beach bag, grabbing a pail and shovel. "Come on, Yuzu!" Hayden groaned loudly, "Leave them be Hayden, I'm still here..." Blake chuckled as she splashed him, who splashed back in response. Yuzu sat next to Nioh and started filling her pail. Leo looked at Classy and Vin, Classy reading a book while Vin is still asleep. He went to the edge of the ocean and let his legs be hit by the water. "Hey, Leo!" Blake smiled at him, "Do you want to join?" Leo hesistated for a moment before nodding, walking over to join the older ones. Oddly, Hayden was nowhere to be found. "Alright, if you ever get scared, I can immediately send you back to the beach, 'kay?" Blake smiled while Leo nodded. He let his hands flowing with the waves, his thoughts a bit preoccupied at the moment. He had saw a shadow at the corner of his eye, thinking it belonged to Blake who was swimming around. He went back to looking at his legs before noticing the shadow next to him.</p><p>"Gawr!" Hayden jumpes out from the water, making Leo jump and lose his step. His entire body entered the ocean, some water had gone up his nose. Hayden grabbed his arm and pulled him up, all the while chuckling as hard as he could. Leo coughed ansd choked on the salty sea water, glaring at Hayden. "Oh man! You should've seen yourself!" he continued chuckling, eventually losing his breath only to take a deep breath and started up again. "Are you okay?" Blake asked him, patting his back to make sure the water had exited his nose. "Y-yeah..." Leo coughed a bit. "That's good.." Blake smiled before glaring at Hayden, who was still laughing. "Do you still want to stay?" Blake asked, "Yeah..." Leo replied and played with the water using his fingertips. "Alright, lunch time!" Classy called out and laid a blanket on the sand with the picnic basket on it to stop it from flying away. "Is it sandwiches?!" Nioh rushed over, his eyes sparkling. "Mhm, and some dessert too." Classy gave each one a sandwich. Hayden was the last one to get out from the ocean, shaking himself to dry a bit of the water off. "Gross, what are you a dog?" Nioh stuck his tongue out, while his brother replied with a smug. Leo sat next to Vin, who was in a deep conversation with Classy. Leo stared at the ocean, his eyes stinging from the heat.</p><p>He's starting to appreciate this summer.</p><p>*****</p><p>"Alright, that's all the stuff and..." Classy pointed at the children one by one, "...5 kids. We're good to go!" he said to Vin, who started up the engine. The rumbling of the car had already made Leo sleepy, knowing their gonna take about thirty minutes to reach home. He looked around, Nioh was already asleep on Blake's lap while Hayden was sprawled on the furthest back seat, snoring loudly. Yuzu was beside Leo and was resting her head on the car door. Leo yawned, rubbing his eyes as he went to lean over to Blake, who was still wide awake. "Ah! Leo, about to sleep?" Blake gave him her famous soft smiles. Leo nodded and laid next to Nioh with Blake's left arm on his shoulder to support him. "Rest well." Blake said, her voice sounded angelic as if she was making sure he was safe.</p><p>Indeed, he was...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Growing Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Boooooreddddd....~" Yuzu groaned as she laid on the floor, her face staring straight up at the ceiling. "What do you want to do?" Nioh asked, "I don't know..." Leo replied. "Alright, how about a board game?" Blake suggested, "Hah! More like 'bored' game!" Hayden refuted the idea. "Yeah, very original..." Nioh snickered, which made his brother growled a bit. "Well, we're gonna rot away if we just stayed here!" Yuzu stood up, her hair a bit of a mess from laying on the ground for two hours straight. "Let's play pretend!" Yuzu suggested, earning her a groan from Hayden. "Now, now. What he's saying is some of us is a bit too old to play something like that." Blake chuckled, before going back to thinking. "How about truth or dare?" Blake said, perking both the brother's curiosity. "That sounds cool!" Nioh sat up, Leo following suit. "Heh, last time I played truth or dare, I ended up drunk." Hayden smirked, "You literally just drank a bunch of sodas." Nioh groaned, "Yeah, let's just play truth or dare normally..." Blake chuckled nervously.</p><p>Everyone had sat up and gathered around a circle with a bottle laying on it's side at the middle. "Alright, I'll spin first..." Blake grabbed the bottle and spun it, landing on Nioh. "Alright, Nioh. Truth or dare?" Nioh took a deep breath, "...truth." Hayden snorted, "Coward." Blake punched his shoulder and turned back to Nioh. "Now, tell me your most embarrassing memory." Blake smirked, leaning in closer. "A-ah, well, uh..." Nioh stammered, his face sweating a bit. "Um, well, a girl kissed me once and I pushed away..." he said, "A-and, it felt... weird!" he blushed, covering his face with his hands. "Hah! Ya never told that to me!" Hayden laughed, clutching his stomach. "Now, now..." Blake tried to calm him down. "Alright, Nioh, spin the bottle." Nioh grabbed the bottle and spun it, this time landing at Yuzu. "Dare!" she spoke without hesitation. "Ok... I dare you to uh..." Nioh stuttered a bit, not sure what to ask his friend to do. "Uh... do a... split!" he said, hearing his brother's muffled laughter. "I can't think of a good dare okay!" Yuzu stared at him for a moment before standing up, slowly descending to the ground with her legs split open. "Huh, didn't know you could do that." Leo said, his eyes showing signs of amazement. "I went to ballet classes at my old hometown." she smiled and jumped back into place.</p><p>And with that, they played for what felt like hours.</p><p>*****</p><p>Now, they're on the floor again, bored out of their minds. "So, that didn't end well." Leo muttered, "It's Hayden's fault." Nioh pouted at him, who growled at him. "It's not my fault, <em>someone </em>asked me a personal question." he glared at his brother, who blew a raspberry at him. "So...." Leo stared at the ground, "What do ya'll want to talk about?" he asked, staring at everyone in front of him. "Let's talk about our futures!" Yuzu suggested, her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Ugh, pick something more boring why don't you." Hayden groaned. "That sounds like a great idea, Yuzu." Blake smiled, completely ignoring Hayden. "Me first!" Yuzu raised her hand, "I... want to be a ballerina!" she stood up and did a few twirls. "Aww, that's cute!" Blake chuckled. "Well, I want to be a journalist!" Nioh puffed out his chest, Hayden snorted at him. "Hey! It'll be fun!" Nioh blew a raspberry at Hayden. "Alright, I want to be a famous violinist." Blake sighed dreamily, "Just being on stage while your hands play such beautiful music..." Blake hummed, passing on to Hayden. "What? Ugh, do I have to?" he groaned, earning a chuckle from Blake. "Fine." he sat up, his head resting on his arms. "I've always had dreams of being a firefighter." this time, it was Nioh who chuckled. "Hey, at least it's more cooler than a journalist." Hayden grinned, his brother's face turned sour.</p><p>"What about you, Leo?" Blake smiled at him, snapping him back into reality. "Well, I... want to be a marine biologist..." he said, "I really love the ocean and the animals living in them... So, I really want to be around them..." he smiled. "Woah..." Nioh stared at him in amazement. "That's a nice dream, Leo!" Blake chuckled, "Now, our mothers are going to need help in the kitchen." Blake stood up and took Yuzu's hand. "We'll see you guys around~" she smiled and both of them exited the house. "Yuzu is Blake's sister?" Leo turned to Nioh, who was on the floor staring at the ceiling. "Adopted." Hayden stood up and grabbed his brother, carrying him on his shoulder. "See ya, Leo. Dad probably wants us to be home by dinner." Hayden waved, ignoring Nioh's kicking and whining. "Let me stay with Leo!!!" he whined, his voice disappearing as they exited the house. Leo sat up on the floor and sighed, wondering when Vin will be back.</p><p>Futures, huh...</p><p>I wonder if anything will change when I'm an adult.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Welcome back to school</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do I have to?" Leo grumbled as Vin fixed his hair. It was the first day of middle school and like always, Vin would prepare him for school. "Come on, you look nice in this~" Vin smiled, combing Leo's hair back then fixed his collar. He was wearing a white-collared shirt with a black sweater along with a pair of dark blue jeans and cream colored sneakers. Leo tried to push away from Vin, whose grip was much stronger. "I can do my hair myself." Leo growled, messing up his hair back after Vin had finished combing. Vin sighed, putting the comb away. "Alright, alright. I'll be downstairs, okay?" Vin exited the room and closed the door behind them. Leo sighed and took his bag and shouldering it. He looked at himself in the mirror, he grew a bit the past few years. When he had came to Spring's Peak. At first, Nioh and Yuzu were always taller than him, now Yuzu was the shortest one while Leo was taller than Nioh. They had spent a lot of time together these past few years, though Blake and Hayden are hardly around, both busy with their own thing. Hayden practicing piano and swimming while Blake with the violin and acting. Leo had felt interested to pick up the violin, or maybe the cello, but he would wait until he was older, maybe when he's 13... Leo shook his head and walked out the door.</p><p>"Hey, Leo!!!" someone shouted at the bottom of the stairs. He peeked and saw a girl waving at him. "Oh, hey, Aisu." he raced down the stairs to greet Aisu. The cyan haired girl went for a bear hug and shook Leo around a bit before letting him go. "You look so cute!" Aisu complimented him, her magenta eyes sparkled as she scanned Leo up and down. "Ah, t-thanks. I guess..." Leo stammered, just in time for Vin to exit the kitchen. "Hey, Leo!" they said, giving him a packed lunch. "Are you two ready?" Aisu pumped her fist up in the air while Leo grumbled in annoyance. Today is gonna be an interesting day, to say the least.</p><p>*****</p><p>"Recess!" Nioh laid back on his seat and sighed, poking Leo's shoulder, who was sitting on his left. "Come on! Hayden said there's pizza!" Nioh stood up and waited for Leo, who stood up lazily. "Guys!!!" Yuzu jumped up and down at the entrance of the class. The three of them had to split up as they were assigned different classes, Nioh and Leo being the only two that had stayed together. "Hey!" Nioh walked over towards Yuzu, Leo yawning behind him. "I brought Aisu and Washoi!" Yuzu posed as if she was presenting them. "Y'know, you don't have to present us like that..." Washoi sighed, shoving his hands inside his lime colored jacket's pockets. "Well, I think it's cute!" Aisu giggled. "Let's go, let's go! The pizza is going to be gone!!!" Nioh raced out the classroom, followed by Yuzu, then Aisu and Washoi. Leo lagged behind to take a minute and appreciate how pretty the school was. Though, he hated going to school, the older ones weren't lying when they say it has a beautiful interior. Leo sighed, realizing that he hasn't seen Hayden anywhere in the school, despite being two years older. That makes him... 13? Right? Leo shook his head and fasten his pace, his stomach growling as he approached the cafeteria.</p><p>"Watch it." Leo bumped into someone, "Ah, sorry, Hayds..." he apologized, recognizing his friend's older brother's voice. Hayden was much taller than him, maybe around 5 foot. He had bragged being the tallest in his class every year ever since he started middle school. "Are you going to eat with us?" Leo asked, "...Yeah, sure, why not?" Hayden grumbled and walked towards where Aisu was sitting at, picking at her nails. Leo stared at him as he walked away, his blood red jacket flowed as he walked. He sat next to Aisu, his mouth clamped shut as Aisu tried to make conversation. Leo walked over and sat on the opposite side of them, making small chatter with Aisu. Nioh, Yuzu and Washoi had came back, with around three plates of pizza. "D-did you three... took separate plates?" Hayden finally spoke, earning a pout from Nioh. "Well, yeah! How else are we all gonna eat!" he huffed, sitting next to Aisu to have a gap between him and Hayden. "I... was thinking of eating the lunch I brought..." Leo said, placing his lunchbox on the table. "Same!" Aisu did the same thing, opening it then started to eat. Leo opened his, it was a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crust cut, the way he liked it.</p><p>"So good..." Nioh sighed as he ate, appreciating every bite. "Yeah, the cheese is so melty~" Yuzu sighed dreamily as Hayden and Washoi stared at each other. "Tastes normal to me." Washoi spoke, nibbling at the pizza. "Come on, there's gotta be at least some goodness in there!" Nioh finished his slice and went for another. "Oh, by the way, Hayden, why did you dye green streaks on your bangs?" Nioh asked, catching the older boy off guard. "What?" he turned towards him. "I just like it, okay?" he grumbled, looking away from all of them. "Well, I want to dye my hair pink!" Yuzu said, twirling her blonde hair. "You don't have to, Yuzu, your hair looks beautiful." Aisu looked up from her food and smiled. "Awww, thanks bestie~" Yuzu hugged her. "How about you, Leo? Interested in more colorful hair?" Washoi asked him, pushing up his glasses that were falling off. "A-ah, well, I don't know...?" he said, "I think mine looks good already..." he went back to eating. "Yeah! Leo is cute with gray hair!!" Nioh cheered, making him blush slightly. "T-thanks... I guess..." he bit the last piece of his sandwich and reached for a slice of pizza.</p><p>"Well, this is nice. But, I have to go somewhere, bye!" Aisu stood up and waved at them, walking towards the exit and exited the cafeteria. "Aw man... Well, more pizza for me!" Nioh went for another slice, only for Hayden to slap his hand. "You had, like, 5. I think that's enough." he scolded Nioh, who crossed his arms and sat back. "Well, Leo can have it! He hasn't gotten a slice yet!" Nioh pushed the plate towards Leo with a grin on his face. "Ah, t-thanks..." Leo smiled back, finishing the food on the plate in front of him.</p><p>He didn't want this moment to disappear...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Allegro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the start of Summer today and Leo had just finished packing his stuff to hang out at Nioh's for the rest of the day. He rushed out the door, waving goodbye towards Vin and crossed the street with immense speed. "What?" Hayden opened the door, Leo passing him as he ran inside. "Ugh, the nerve of that kid." he complained as he shuts the door close. Nioh was in the piano room, swinging his legs front and back as he waited for Hayden to come back and play the piano. "Hey." Leo peeked into the room and sat on the chair next to him, Nioh's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I was listening to Hayden practice, so we need to be extra quiet!" Nioh places a finger at his lips, making a shushing sound, in which earned a giggle from Leo. "Why did your brother started the piano?" Leo asked, tilting his head to the side in curiousity. "Well, he always liked going to watch classical performances as a kid..." Nioh pondered on Leo's question. "So, when he had turned 11, he begged dad to use mom's old piano to practice." Nioh swung his legs, his tone a bit sad when he mentioned his mother. "I'm always curious, what happened to your mom?" Leo asked, hoping it's not a very personal question. "Ah, well, she died from a terminal illness..." he muttered, "She died when I was... 5, maybe." Leo stares at Nioh before taking his hand and squeezing it, not wanting to see his best friend cry.</p><p>"Well, did you know!" Nioh quickly changed the subject, "Hayden was sooooo different when we were younger!!" he grinned at Leo, the sad atmosphere from a few seconds earlier seemed to dissipate completely. "You're talking 'bout me behind my back?" Hayden appeared at the doorway with a glass of water. "What? No! Why would we!" Nioh stuck out his tongue, earning a sigh from his brother. Hayden made his way to the grand piano, finishing the cup of water in one sip and sighed, putting it on a near table. He stretched for a few seconds and started playing, his hand flowing smoothly along the keys coupled with the melodic tunes they were creating. Leo stood there in amazement, amazed that a friend of his can make such a sound. The melodic tune filled the room, making it echo as the two boys listened, the experience was enchanting, as if they were in a forest filled with magical creatures. When he was done, he pulled away and sighed, tired from playing. "Tired? Already?" Nioh tilted his head, confused at his brother, who stared daggers at him. "That was beautiful..." those were the only words that exited Leo's mouth.</p><p>"Ah-" Hayden's cheeks turned slightly red. "T-thanks, I guess." he looked away, twirling strands of his hair that were sticking out. "Now, can we play?" Nioh moaned, pouting when his brother just stared at him. "My recital with Blake is due next week, you know I can't play with you." he grumbled. "Fine!" Nioh hopped off his chair and took Leo's hand, dragging him to his room. Nioh plopped himself down on the carpet in his room and started playing with the things scattered on it, Leo doing the same but instead with the things in his own bag. "Hayden is always 'busy with practice'," Nioh complained, "He doesn't have time to play anymore!" Leo looked over to his friend, who was building with Lego's, though they keep breaking apart. "I never knew you two were close, you always seem like you're always fighting..." Leo mumbled, "Well, he's always nice to me at home," Nioh continued, dropping the Lego's immediately, "He doesn't smile though, but he always comes to play or help with my homework." Nioh puffed out his cheeks. "Now, he won't even come for dinner. Dad and Classy are the ones bringing dinner to him!" he crossed his arms, the anger made his hair stick out a bit.</p><p>"Ah, you know, maybe, he really is busy." Leo tried to think of an excuse for him, of course, he can't find any. "Well, that doesn't excuse him for not wanting to hang out!" Nioh huffed, "Maybe that streak made him different, we need to remove it!" Leo chuckled nervously at Nioh's declaration. "N-no, I think that was just a fashion choice..." Leo went back to tinkering with the things in his hands. He had always done this, whenever he's nervous, he will unconsciously tinker with stuff, ending up with a new made up creation. He never knew why and he doesn't want to know why. "It's so annoying." Nioh huffed out his last words and laid on the floor. Leo looked over and did the same, the stuff in his hand still being messed with. "What about your parents, Leo? You're always with your sibling." Nioh asked, "Ah, they're dead." Leo said bluntly, "Disease. I was 2 years old. Vin was 9." Nioh looked over in concern. "That young?" Leo nodded, not really showing any emotions on his face. Nioh had stayed silent, not wanting to give the everyday 'I'm sorry for your loss', knowing that sentence starts to sound pathetic the more you hear it.</p><p>"Well, no need to dwell in the past! Come on, let's go to Yuzu's!" Nioh stood up and grabbed Leo's arm and ran out, leaving their stuff behind. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. At Fault</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yuzu stared at the locked door in front of her, she felt tiny compared to it. The sound of the violin came from inside, the sweet melodic adagio, a slow but soft tune. Yuzu promised her mothers that she won't disturb her sister, as they know she can be a loud kid. Even with the amount of begging she did, she couldn't convice them that she can be a quiet girl. Yuzu sat on the floor, waiting for her sister to finish so that she could hang out with her. Their parents were out, which caused Yuzu to be bored out of her mind. "Come on, come on!" Yuzu complained, "Finish with practice already!" she called out to her sister, laid on the floor and rolled around for a few seconds. She stared up at the ceiling, the decorations seemed to blend with each other. The color of the walls, the ceiling, they're all forming an incoherent blob of color. The sound of the violin screeching made her groan, knowing Blake she would practice for another hour to get the notes right. She stuck out her tongue, her hands flaying around as if she was making a snow angel. The sound of the violin disappeared and the door unlocked.</p><p>"Ah, Yuzu, what are you doing?" Blake looked down to her sister and pulled out her hand, offering to lift her up. "Did you miss me?" she giggled, "Well, now, we can have lunch, together. Sounds good?" Yuzu nodded, taking her sister's calloused hand. "Mom left some money on the counter, she couldn't cool because they were in a hurry." Yuzu told her older sister, who hummed in response. "Well, that means we have to go outside to eat~" she smiled and went to the counter. "Go change first, I'll wait." Blake told Yuzu, who nodded and ran off to her bedroom. She took off her current outfit and stared at the closet, taking a pastel yellow dress and a hair band to tie her hair. She went out of her room and saw Blake at the counter, her hands playing an air violin. "Ah, you're done! Looks cute!" Blake smiled, her hands quickly dropped to her sides. They money was in her left chest pocket, with it was a cellphone. "Alright, let's go!" she took her sister's hand and went to the front door, Blake put on some lavender loafers while Yuzu, her white sandals. They both exited the house, locked the door and made their way down from the apartment.</p><p>*****</p><p>"And how are my two favourite people?" Classy smiled at Blake and Yuzu as they approached the stall he was working at. "Quite good, me and Yuzu thought we could have some burgers, both beef?" Blake handed him the money, who took it with a smile and a nod. "I'll have it ready soon." Classy waved at them both. "Hey, hey, can we go to Nioh's?" Yuzu asked her sister, who replied with a weak smile. "Sorry, I need to practice~" Blake apologized, there it is again... 'practice'. Yuzu hated that word, Blake had devoted herself to the violin that she wouldn't even have a little fun sometimes. She locked herself up just to play, everyday after school. She would never leave except for when she needs to eat or drink. Nioh had told Yuzu that his brother, Hayden, was doing the same. Only he would have never went out like this, taking a break every once in a while and smell the fresh air. He stays in the piano room, not moving from the piano except for water and food. "I... can go by myself." Yuzu replied nonchalantly. "Really? You got lost the other day, trying to get back home..." Blake giggled dryly, coughing a bit after she finished. "Well, if you really want to go, I don't mind. I'll go take my violin, tell mom we're staying at Nioh's and practice with Hayden there." she smiled, her words gave Yuzu a bit of hope. "T-thank you!" she cried out, giving her sister a huge hug.</p><p>"What are sisters for?" she said, pushing Yuzu away for a bit to get their orders when Classy called out her name.</p><p>*****</p><p>5:30 p.m.</p><p>Yuzu looked at the watch in her sister's arm. They were on their way to Nioh's house, the noisy cicadas pierced her ears. She looked to her side, suprisingly, there were flowers in the middle of summer, being kept properly. There were lilies of the valley, sunflowers and roses, and a bit of yellow acacias. "Pretty, isn't it... Summer..." Blake said wistfully. She always loved Summer, the beautiful waves, the warm and soft breeze, the hot yet nice atmosphere it had. Yuzu had a pep in her every step, excited to stay over at Nioh's house. "Isn't this nice? We get to spend time with each other like old times!" Yuzu grinned at her sister, who smiled back. "Yeah, this will be fun..." Blake said, picking up her pace. Eventually, she started running, turning around after a few steps to look at her sister. "Catch me if you can!" she laughed and ran towards the house, Yuzu responding to her and running faster towards her, reached out her hand to catch her, Blake avoiding being caught.</p><p>Eventually, Blake arrived first and sat on the ground, laughing. "I won~" she grinned and stood up, knocking on Nioh's door, said boy answered. "Oh! Hey guys, you called to stay over right?" Nioh's eyes lit up. "Ahaha, yeah~" Blake panted, messing up Nioh's hair before entering. "Thanks for accepting the invitation by the way~" she walked in and sat on the couch, the violin laid on the ground in front of her. "Why are you two tired?" Nioh turned to Yuzu, who had sat on the floor. "We had a race." she grinned, breathing heavily as she went to the couch and laid on the floor. Nioh shut the door, locked it and went to sit next to Yuzu. "What's all the noise about." Hayden appeared from the hallway with a groan, along with Leo who never left yet since the morning. "Ah, hey, Hayden, are you practicing?" Blake smiled, "I could join you!" she took her violin and pushed him back to the piano room without much retaliation. "Y'know we were thinking of going to go to your house this morning, but Leo insisted that we stayed." Leo nodded, confirming this notion. Yuzu stared at both of them with a smile, then giggled.</p><p>This is going to be the best sleepover, ever.</p><p>*****</p><p>Voices.</p><p>She hears voices.</p><p>2 a.m.</p><p>Yuzu sat up from her sleeping bag and exited Nioh's room. It was dark, the boys' dad wasn't home yet. Classy had just arrived a few hours earlier and made them dinner. They stayed up until 11 p.m. when most of them had just went to sleep. Nioh on his bed, Hayden on his bed while Yuzu, Leo and Blake were next to each other on the floor. She looked at the sleeping bags, Blake's was empty, so was Hayden's bed. She quietly exited the boys' bedroom and went down the stairs, avoiding any and all creaks. The voices got louder, they were coming from the piano room. It sounded like arguing, Hayden's and Blake's voices arguing. Yuzu hid in the dark, but within earshot to make out what they were arguing about.</p><p>"Look, your notes weren't perfect." Blake said, her voice sounding more strict than usual. "They were all over the place!" Hayden growled, "You? Talking about all over the place? Hah, don't get me started on that violin playing!" he scoffed, "You keep missing the notes, making the violin sound scratchy! And you call my playing all over the place." Blake huffed out, obviously angry. "The recital is in a week and you're accusing me of playing horribly? Puh-lease! Do you even know how many hours I spent with this thing?!" Blake responded back. "And do you know how many hours I spent writing the music sheets, playing it on the piano so it sounds good?!" Hayden shouted back. Yuzu fell on the floor, cradling her knees. They're now at each other's throats, blaming the other for their awful playing. But, she never found any of their playing 'awful'. She loved them, they were beautiful. This fight was stupid. Yuzu remembered when Blake would be the one breaking her and Hayden's fights, but now she's engaging in one. What even happened? She wanted to cry, she just couldn't bring herself to. Hayden stormed out of the room and went back upstairs, Blake stayed back. She sighed, walked out of the piano room and went outside, the violin in hand. Yuzu followed.</p><p>It was really dark, she couldn't see a thing. There weren't many cars roaming around, but there were some. The sounds of the cicadas had disappeared, so did the heat and sun. Blake sat at the sidewalk, clutching her violin. The door creaked open and she turned around, seeing Yuzu at the doorway. "Oh, hey, sis." she managed a smile, knowing it was fake. She can't smile anymore, she was tired, frustrated. Yuzu sat next to her, her eyes were dark. "Hey, uh, can I... ask you something?" Blake asked, her voice shook a bit. "Does my playing sound bad?" she asked, in which Yuzu shook her head. "Thanks..." she muttered under her breath, gripping her violin. "I always end up making the violin sound scratchy... And I thought that it was just me, y'know. I'm always bad at stuff." Yuzu stared at her sister, always like this. It made her sick, she would say that she's bad at things but she's the perfect person, the perfect student, the perfect daughter. She can do everything perfectly, yet she complains about it. Yuzu couldn't stand it. Blake stood up, gripping at her violin. "Well, there's no fix to that~" she chuckled dryly, every emotion in her head had shut down. Her eyes wide open. The violin flew out of her hands.</p><p>Yuzu pushed her into the road.</p><p>A car had just passed by.</p><p>3:30 a.m.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Late Arrivals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I really like flowers.</p><p>They're beautiful and have lots of meanings!</p><p>An azalea represents temperance and passion! That's why you remind me of them, Hayden!</p><p>A coreopsis reminds me of you, Nioh! It's because you're always cheerful!</p><p>Sunflowers always face towards the sun, which means Yuzu is always positive!</p><p>As for Leo, a purple heather! Hmm? What do they mean? Well, they mean admiration!</p><p>What does <em>that</em> mean? Hehe~ You need to find it out yourself!</p><p>*****</p><p>It was raining.</p><p>Nioh stared out the window as he sat at his work table. A butterfly landed on the windowsill outside to dry off, it's wings flapping. He's 16 years old now, 5 whole years had passed since... <em>that</em>. Nioh cringed as he remembered. <em>Her twisted and mangled limbs, her horrified face</em>. Maybe, he shouldn't have slept so early. He sighed and pushed himself back on the chair. He closed his eyes, remembering his old friends, their laughs, their smiles, heck even when he argues with Hayden. Ah. Right. Hayden. Ever since the accident, he started being more silent, only talk when he's asked to and never again. Classy told him that, Hayden needs more time. He had always been friends with Blake for a long time, seeing her die like that must have been hard. "Ugh." Nioh groaned, thinking about his older brother. He scanned his room, it looked half empty. Growing up, he and Hayden had always shared rooms. Nioh on the right, Hayden on the left. Now, it felt... spacious. Empty. As if, a part of him had disappeared. Hayden moved his bed to the piano room and locked himself in, occasionally sounds of the piano would come from the room. Nioh would sit on the floor, in front of the door, and listen. The door is always locked and Hayden would come out when asked or if he wants to. He misses him, his old big brother, always complaining about how he acts, occasionally acting like a real brother, stepping in when he's bullied, taking care of his wounds. Now, he acts like he was a stranger in the house, refusing to look at anyone's eyes when talking, refusing to even make small talk. It was... a depressing turn of his whole personality. Nioh had tried multiple times to drag him out of his room but he refuses. Reminds him of... Ah. Leo. Leo had stopped attending school or contacting anyone. Same goes for Yuzu. Nioh had seen her at school multiple times but, she's different. Less positive, less optimistic. The sunflower is doomed to wilt one day.</p><p>Nioh stood up from his desk and exited the room, his footsteps echoed in the empty house. Almost everything was packed, all of dad's stuff. He sighed. Two years after Blake died, their dad was diagnosed with cancer. He died a few months after. Now, Classy works three jobs to handle the three of them, pay the bills and keep the house intact for them. Sometimes, he would come home and faint right in front of the front door, resulting in both Hayden and Nioh to drag him back to his room. Nioh sighed and sat at the couch, turning on the TV. Nothing sparked his interest so he turned it off. It was 6 p.m. He looked out his front windows and saw Leo's house. God, he missed going there. They had a huge living room, a room dedicated to gaming. Now, he couldn't even see the inside, curtains covered every window. Nioh had went over and knocked on the door multiple times, even staying out in the rain, waiting for an answer. He knew, he knew Leo could hear his knocks. His desperate attempt to hear his voice again, to hang out with him. He ended up staring at the road separating the two houses, his eyes immediately went to <em>the </em>spot. Nioh cringed, he didn't hear the crash. He felt guilty that he didn't hear the crash. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what exactly happened.</p><p>*****</p><p>
  <em>4:30 a.m.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They ran out of the house when they heard Yuzu scream. Classy was the first to run outside, followed by Hayden and Leo. Nioh went last. What he saw was terrifying. Blake's lifeless body, her eyes wide in shock, blood splattered everywhere. He didn't know what happened after, maybe he blacked out, maybe Hayden closed his eyes. But, all he knew was that, Classy called the ambulance, only to realize that Blake was gone. Yuzu was shaking as she told everyone that she saw Blake jump in front of the car. Of course, Hayden couldn't believe such a thing. The entire week he repeated a sentence, over and over and over again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She wouldn't do it. It's wrong. It's a lie.<br/></em>
</p><p>*****</p><p>Nioh shook his head, removing the memory from his brain. He sketched on the window, a smiley face but the rain had washed it away in mere seconds. He sighed and went back to wondering around the house. Summer felt boring, this year he had just realized how small and quite frankly, dull, Spring's Peak was. It felt empty, half of the residents had just moved away or passed on and hardly anyone moves in anymore. Granted, it is quite a small town and not very popular but what about some of the tourist? He had overheard some tourist say that they would live here and expressed excitement upon finding a house for sale. Sadly, they never came back. They were nice people too. Nioh picked at his nails before going back to the couch, laying on it. The rain trickled down and it was the only thing keeping him company. After a few ticks from the clock later, the sound of the piano started to play. Ah, Hayden's awake. Nioh sat up and listened closely. Ah. He recognized this. It was the song they were going to play at the recital when they were younger. Before everything. Before, all this. Before... Blake's death.</p><p>Gymnopedie No. 1, by Erik Satie.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Agrimony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey!</p><p>...</p><p>Hey, hey! No need to look so sad! Come on, try and smile!</p><p><br/>Why?</p><p>A smile is always great!</p><p>...Why... would I smile...? My mother... is dead...</p><p>...Oh...</p><p>...</p><p>...Well! That doesn't stop you from living your life, no?</p><p>...</p><p>Come on! I'll bring you to the beach, let's have fun! Holding on to the past is bad for you! You need to learn to live in the present!</p><p>...</p><p>Let's go!</p><p>A-ah-!</p><p>T-thank you...</p><p>*****</p><p>Hayden opened his eyes. The sunlight peeked into the room, the blinds covering half of the window. He pulled up the blanket so it was fully covering him, he didn't want to see the sun, it always reminded him of her. She was always his sun, the light that shone in his darkness. The one person who pulled him out of his depressed state in elementary before. When his mother had passed. Her smile brought him joy, pulled him away from his depressed state. Her smile was everything, her positivity affects him all the time. Now, she's gone. Yet, another light in his life has been taken away. The world truly is cruel. His eyes started to tear up, he never really showed any type of emotion towards any of his friends. Why? That, he doesn't know himself. Perhaps, he wants to look mature, maybe for other unknown reason? He sighed, wiping the tears away as he stood up and walked towards his door. The calendar at the side showed the month of June, on it the 29th was circled, with the writing saying: 'Picnic day!'</p><p>It was from 5 years ago.</p><p>He took the calendar and threw it into the trash bin. He opened his door slightly to check if Nioh was there. He was sleeping on the couch. Hayden smiled slightly, his brother was tall now. Classy had them measured after Nioh's birthday on February and he had almost reached Hayden's height, 6' 1", while Nioh was 5' 11". Hayden went back to his brother's room and took a blanket, covering the sleeping teen on the couch. "Sleep in your room, idiot." he sighed. He went to the window and stared at Leo's house, the rain fogged the window, but he could make out Vin's figure in the rain. Looks like their back from college. They looked around before rushing inside their house. Weird... Hayden thought. He sighed and walked away. Man, he had just realized how boring summer was without everyone hanging out. He was tempted to call up Aisu and asked if she was available. Though, he was never close to her, so it would be awkward. He retreated back to his room, hoping for clear skies the next day.</p><p>*****</p><p>Hey, hey, Leo!</p><p>Let's play, come on!!</p><p>We could always have a picnic...</p><p>Mhm, let's do that~</p><p>Everything will be okay.</p><p>*****</p><p>He's hungry.</p><p>Leo opened his eyes and it met with a dark, empty ceiling. A lonely fan spun around slowly as he got up from his bed. The curtains were drawn, so he could only hear the pitter patter of the rain. The room was dark, with little to no furniture. He opened the door slowly, knowing his sibling was home and didn't want to alarm them. He tried to avoid any creaks on the floor that he had identified before. Vin's room was on the first floor, and knowing Vin, they probably went straight to their room after returning home. He slowly made his way to the kitchen, opened the fridge and found a plate of fried chicken, Vin probably left this here for him. It's not like he doesn't want to see them, he didn't know what to talk about. Ever since what happened five years ago, he's still in the denial stage of grief. Refusing to believe the sweetest person to him, the person who understood his troubles was gone. He didn't want to face it, he didn't want to accept it. He wants to believe she was just, gone. Gone to college? Gone to another country? Anywhere but... He gulped, remembering her smile made him scared. Does it... feel like he's running away? No. No, he's not.</p><p>...</p><p>Please...</p><p>Hey...</p><p>Why are the spiders surrounding me?</p><p>*****</p><p>White egret orchids are beautiful flowers... Hmm? What do they mean? Ah, well, they mean... they... mean... purity of the soul! Ehehe, were you scared~? ... I can't really lie, can I? Ahaha... Well... In the language of flowers, it means... 'My thoughts will follow you into your dreams...' It's a pretty sentimental meaning, no? What if I gave you a bouquet of these? Does that mean, <em>your </em>thoughts will follow into <em>my</em> dreams~? Hm hm, I'm just teasing~ Oh, look, an asphodel!</p><p>...</p><p>My regrets will follow you to the grave.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. It means everything.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Look at them.</p><p>They're all our memories together.</p><p>They're... a bit sad.</p><p>Because... <strike>youmadethemsad</strike> you missed the old times, don't you?</p><p>Well... Let's... <strike>burnthesememories</strike> make new memories, alright?</p><p>*****</p><p>The rain stopped.</p><p>Nioh opened his eyes, realizing he had slept on the couch instead of his own bed. He checked the time, it was 4:30 in the afternoon. He felt the blanket over him and chuckled, guess Hayden had decided to come out of his room. He sat up and stretched, putting the blanket aside. He went to the door and exited the house, running over to Leo's. Vin's car was nowhere to be seen, probably out for work. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door repeatedly, not really hoping for a response. There was no sound from inside the house, he's probably asleep. Nioh was about to give up before noticing the shadow under the door. "H-hey..." he said, hoping Leo was listening. "How have you been, bud? I- Everyone misses you." he started talking, his words sounded hurt but genuine. "Uh, if you... ever wanted to hang out... I'm here... Leo... Please, don't isolate yourself like this." tears started to build in his eyes. "Y-you know, this won't bring her back... A-and, she would be disappointed... Seeing you do this... Right?" he wanted an answer, but, he wasn't really hoping for one. Maybe, just maybe... to hear his voice... "S-so..." Nioh continued, the door opened with Leo shooting out of it, hugging his taller friend tightly. "A-ah! H-hey!" Nioh panicked a little, he wasn't expecting Leo to come out of the house, but here he was. "Y-you're a little skinny, huh?" Nioh chuckled, causing Leo to hug him tighter. "And, you're more muscular..." Leo mumbled, causing Nioh to chuckle. "Yeah, I've been working out... B-but, that's not the point!" he grabbed Leo's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.</p><p>"The point is, you're here! And... we should hang out!" Nioh grinned and grabbed Leo's hand, running full speed to his own house. "W-wait, why are we-" "To have lunch, of course!" Nioh said, it was partly a lie, really, all he wanted was to show Leo to Hayden, letting him know that he's finally here, finally outside. "So, what do you want to eat?" Nioh asked, his eyes still sparkling. "A-ah... Nothing too heavy..." Leo chuckled. "What do you mean, 'nothing too heavy'?! You're way too skinny!" Nioh pouted, causing Leo to look away. "F-fine... Eggs and bacon..." Leo muttered and went to the couch, wrapping himself up with the blanket that was already there. Nioh turned on the stove and started cooking, he wasn't a good one but he could cook some basic meals. "Hey, uh, where's Hayden, by the way?" Leo asked, causing Nioh to sigh. "He's in the piano room, probably won't come out anytime soon." he said, his tone was bitter. "Oh." Leo said, tightening his hug with the blanket. "Did you two... got in another fight...?" he asked again, thinking that this was your typical Hayden and Leo fight. "Huh? Nah, he never wanted to get out of his room after what happened." Nioh said casually, putting the already cooked eggs and bacon on a plate, went over to the couch and gave Leo the food. "Does... Hayden miss me?" Leo asked, his smile was a bit weak.</p><p>"Ya'll talking shit?" Hayden appeared from the hallway, his arms wrapped with a towel. "Gah-!" Nioh jumped at his brother's sudden appearance. "What are you doing up from bed?!" Nioh growled, clearly pissed at his own brother. Hayden shrugged, "I just needed some bandaits, accidentally cut myself while I was cutting paper." he said, making his way to the bathroom. Nioh sighed, "What's wrong with you and him?" Leo asked again. "Nothing." Nioh hastily added, his tone was harsh, like a knife stabbing at Leo. "Sorry, a bit stressed..." Nioh chuckled, seeing Leo finished with his food. "S-so! Where do you want to go to hang out?" Nioh smiled brightly at Leo, who was caught off guard by his question. "U-uh... Up to you!" Leo chuckled dryly. "Then, we're going to the park!" Nioh grinned, taking Leo's hand. "Come on!" they rushed out the door and towards the park.</p><p>It was partly empty, which is a given as the town is pretty small. There was a small crowd at the basketball court and a few kids at the playground. "Too many people at the court..." Nioh mumbled to himself. "We should just vibe!" Nioh grinned and went to a nearby bench, sat on it and patted besides him. Leo walked over and joined him, picking at his nail as he felt more and more anxious. "So, how have you been?" Leo asked his taller friend, who was admiring the nature. "Hmm? Pretty good, I started playing basketball and won ten tournaments!" Nioh puffed out his chest in pride, causing Leo to chuckle. "You're cute as ever, huh?" Leo said, causing the other boy to blush a bit. "H-hey, I'm not cute." Nioh pouted, looking away and locked eyes with someone. "What is it?" Leo turned to Nioh, whose head was still turned into a certain direction. "Huh? Nothing." Nioh smiled. "Hey!" a voice called out to them. A short girl came over to Nioh and hugged him, which looked a bit awkward as her head only reached the bottom of his chest. "Hey, Fugs." Nioh turned to Leo and smiled. "This is Fugu, she's one of my first friends in high school." Nioh introduced her. "Hey! Are you... Leo? Nioh talks a lot about you." she smirked towards Nioh, who tried to hide his reddening face. "R-really...?" Leo chuckled.</p><p>"Hey, what's happening here?" Aisu appeared along with another person, who was slightly taller than her and almost as tall as Nioh. She looked regal and elegant, with long jet black hair and piercing red eyes. "Ah, hey Tenshi, Aisu!" Fugu went over and gave them both a hug. "It is quite the pleasure to see you, but please refrain from touching this dress, it is quite expensive." Tenshi said, her tone a bit passive aggressive. "Ah, hey, Leo." Aisu waved at him, who waved back awkwardly. He felt... out of place. Considering the five years of isolation, he never really knew who these people are, well not Aisu of course. He tried to slip away but Nioh noticed just in time and took Leo's hand, giving him his signature smile. "Come on, don't disappear now! We need to hang out more!" Leo chuckled and stayed, his hand holding Nioh's during the whole conversation.</p><p>...</p><p>Is that Blake?</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. I'm not alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's my fault, huh?</p><p>It's not.</p><p>If it's not... then... why is she...</p><p>...</p><p>It's my fault. my fault, myfaultmyfaultmyfaultmyfault.</p><p>my... fault...</p><p>*****</p><p>"Today was fun." Leo smiled, snapping Nioh back to reality. "Huh? A-ah, yeah, it was great!" Nioh grinned at Leo, planting a hand on his head and messed up Leo's hair. "I'm... looking forward for tomorrow..." Leo fixed his hair and turned to his house, closing the door behind him. Nioh let out a sigh as the door closed, he stared at the house for a few seconds before leaving to go back to his old residence. He started to unlock the door when someone called for him. He turned seeing <strike>Yuzu</strike> Aisu smiling at him, a bag being held in front of her. "Y- Aisu?" Nioh rubbed his eyes, fixing his vision. "Hmm? What's wrong?" Aisu tilted her head, concerned of Nioh. "N-nothing..." Nioh forced a chuckle, in which Aisu saw past. "You don't need to hide it." Aisu smiled softly, tightening her grip on the bag. "You really can see through anything, huh?" Nioh chuckled dryly. "I just... thought you were Yuzu... That's all." Aisu tilted her head, "I've been seeing a lot of things lately, I thought it might be from fatigue..." Nioh continued, sighing as he turned the lock of the door. "Well, see ya. I guess..." Nioh smiled at Aisu, who returned it with a wave. "Oh, before you go, here." Aisu walked over and handed Nioh a sticker. "A.... ROFL emoji sticker?" Nioh looked at her in confusion. "A cringe sticker, if you may~" Aisu giggled, "If it makes me happy, I'm sure it can make you happy. Bye!" Aisu turned and walked away. "H-huh..." Nioh sighed, "Make me happy, huh?" he chuckled and entered the house, locking the door behind him.</p><p>*****</p><p>Leo!</p><p>You're back!!</p><p>Come on, come on! Let's play!</p><p>H-hold on...</p><p>Shut up, Hayden! We can take care of that later!</p><p>*****</p><p>They're at the park today, playing basketball. Leo sat on the side as he looked at Nioh playing. Aisu was next to him, along with Tenshi, who was... standing instead of sitting on the ground. "Ten, aren't you gonna sit?" Fugu asked, in which Tenshi replied with a sigh. "Do you think I would sit on the ground and ruin my favourite skirt? Oh, no dear." Fugu chuckled at her response. "Alright! Good game!!" Nioh waved the other players goodbye and went over to the group. "Dry your sweat first..." Leo handed him a towel, Nioh thanked him and dried himself off. "So, what d'ya want to do now?" Nioh's eyes moved away from Leo, his grin melting to a frown. "W-what is it?" Leo turned to look into the same direction. A girl was staring at them from a bench in the distance, her hands were playing with an object. "Yuzu?" Leo's eyes squinted as he ran over, ignoring what Nioh was yelling at him about. "Hey, Yuzu!" Leo called out, causing her to jump from her seat. "I-I think you got the wrong person..." Yuzu muttered, her feet looked like she was ready to run. "H-hey, don't you remember me...? It's me, Leo!" he smiled and came closer. "I have to go...!" she got up and ran away. "W-what..." Leo mumbled to himself, not realizing Nioh had slapped him on the shoulder.</p><p>"She's a bit shaken up from what happened, y'know?" Nioh grimaced, "Well, let's just give her time... It was her sister after all..." Nioh's expression changed immediately to a grin and wrapped his arm around Leo. Just then, his watch beeped. "Ah, shit. See ya! I need to run some groceries!" Nioh waved at Leo before running off to the market. Leo stared at where he ran off and sighed. "What to do now..." Leo muttered to himself, spotting someone glaring at him. He felt uncomfortable and turned to confront them. "What do you want?" he put up a tough boy facade. "Heh, ya think that face can scare me?" the person smirked, tightening their grip on the bat they were holding. "Saw ya makin' Yuzu run away." they said, "Better watch ya back." the person smirked then walked away, their eyes still locked onto Leo's. Leo stared at where they had went and sighed, why was he in this situation.</p><p>"Hey!" Aisu went over to where Leo was, her arm outstretched to a wave. "You okay?" Aisu asked, seeing Leo's worried face. "H-huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine." Aisu didn't seem convinced, she leaned in and stared right into Leo's eyes. "You met Twisted, did ya?" Aisu smiled, "The local delinquent? Has a soft spot on Yuzu?" Leo hesitantly nodded. "Mm. He's just protective over Yuzu, don't worry. A lot of what he says are empty threats anyways~" Aisu hopped away, inviting Leo to join the rest of the group. He didn't want to. Unintentionally, they would make him feel left out, he'd be alone in his own little world. His heart started to beat faster and faster, anxiety took a hold of him as he stared at the group, whispers upon whispers piled up in his ears. <em>You're all alone, you're nothing, they don't care. </em>He tried to keep his neutral expression, trying to hide the sadness, trying to run again. He tried to calm down, breathe in, breathe out, with a ten second pause in between.</p><p>
  <em>It's not as scary as you think.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You can fight them, I believe in you</em>
</p><p>...</p><p>He sees Blake...</p><p>*****</p><p>It should've been her who disappeared.</p><p>The pretty flowers has wilted...</p><p>...</p><p>It's all her fault.</p><p>her fault, her fault her fault, her fault.</p><p>A single asphodel flower.</p>
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